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2015 Roswell Invaders Season Recap - Chris Treibt Leads Roswell to Its Third Pecos League Championship
The 2015 Roswell Invaders season ended exactly where championship teams want to finish - celebrating on the road after winning the final game of the Pecos League season. This time, the celebration came at Fort Marcy Park in Santa Fe, where the Invaders defeated the Santa Fe Fuego 17-5 to complete a two-game sweep of the Pecos League Championship Series and claim the third championship in franchise history.
It was the culmination of an unusual season under field manager Chris Treibt. Treibt had not originally been scheduled to manage Roswell. Dave Ramsey had been slated to lead the Invaders, but Ramsey was unable to report. That opened the door for Treibt, who had been working as a pitching coach in the Pecos Spring League and had previous professional pitching experience.
Treibt took over and did an exceptional job. Roswell finished the regular season 40-28, survived a difficult five-game playoff series against the Alpine Cowboys and advanced to face the Santa Fe Fuego in an all-New Mexico Pecos League Championship Series.
Once Roswell reached the finals, there was very little drama. The Invaders won Game 1, 17-6, and followed with a 17-5 victory in Game 2. Roswell had its third championship in five seasons.
The 2015 Invaders entered the year expecting Dave Ramsey to manage the club, but Ramsey never reported. The organization needed a replacement, and Chris Treibt was selected as Roswell's field manager.
Treibt came from Collinsville, Oklahoma and had played college baseball at Northeastern State University. He had previously pitched for the Santa Fe Fuego in 2012 and had professional experience in the United League with Edinburg and McAllen. In 2014, he served as pitching coach for the Brownsville Charros before working as pitching coach for the Garden of Gears during the 2015 Pecos Spring League.
On April 12, Roswell officially announced Treibt as the club's 2015 field manager. He inherited a franchise with serious expectations. Roswell had already won the Pecos League Championship in 2011 and again in 2013, and the Invaders were accustomed to postseason baseball.
Anything less than another playoff appearance would have been considered disappointing. Treibt did much more than simply keep Roswell competitive. He eventually led the Invaders to another championship.
The 2015 Pecos League was entering a new stage of development. The league strictly enforced a 22-player paid roster and instituted a 25-and-under age limit, changes that placed an even greater emphasis on roster construction and player development.
Roswell competed against Trinidad, Santa Fe, Alpine, White Sands, Las Vegas, Garden City and Las Cruces. The Trinidad Triggers finished with the best regular-season record at 43-18. Alpine finished 41-26, Roswell finished 40-28 and Santa Fe finished 33-21.
The standings showed just how competitive the postseason field would become.
The Invaders didn't dominate the standings from beginning to end. There were difficult stretches, high-scoring games and pitching problems. There were nights when Roswell looked like a championship team and others when the Invaders looked extremely vulnerable.
But Treibt kept the club moving forward. On June 22, Roswell went into Fort Marcy Park and defeated Santa Fe 8-5. Richard Colla hit a two-run home run in the seventh inning to give Roswell the lead, and Steven Romero earned the victory after working seven innings.
Two nights later, Roswell and Santa Fe played one of the wildest games of the season. The Invaders won 16-15 behind an extraordinary performance from Danny Grauer, who drove in nine runs, hit three home runs and added a double.
It was an incredible offensive performance against the same Santa Fe club Roswell would eventually face for the championship.
Danny Grauer became one of the most important players on the championship roster. Grauer played 65 games and collected 97 hits in 250 at-bats. He scored 57 runs, hit 24 doubles and 18 home runs, drove in 61 runs and drew 33 walks. He also stole nine bases.
His combination of power and run production made him the centerpiece of Roswell's lineup throughout the season. The nine-RBI game against Santa Fe provided one of the clearest demonstrations of how dangerous he could be.
Brett Balkan appeared in 65 games, collected 71 hits and scored 46 runs. Balkan hit 14 doubles and stole 26 bases while striking out only 23 times in 225 at-bats.
His ability to put the ball in play and create movement on the bases helped stabilize the middle of the Roswell lineup.
Aaron Carman Gives Roswell Another Consistent Bat
Aaron Carman played 67 games and collected 89 hits. He scored 50 runs, drove in 34 and stole 22 bases.
Later in the postseason, Carman would deliver one of Roswell's biggest performances against Alpine.
Louis Martini Begins His Roswell Career
Louis Martini played 59 games and collected 54 hits. He scored 48 runs and produced six doubles, two triples and six home runs while driving in 34.
Martini would become a familiar Pecos League name in the years ahead, but 2015 gave him the opportunity to contribute to a championship club.
Nolan Meadows Changes the Lineup
Nolan Meadows played only 32 regular-season games but became one of the most important hitters Roswell had by the end of the season. Meadows hit .354, collected 46 hits in 130 at-bats, scored 32 runs and hit six home runs while driving in 34.
His importance became even greater once the postseason began. Again and again, Meadows delivered in the biggest games of Roswell's season.
Roche Woodard appeared in only 20 regular-season games but immediately made an impact. He collected 31 hits in 83 at-bats, scored 20 runs and stole 12 bases.
His arrival gave Roswell another athletic player at exactly the right point in the season. Woodard would later become a major piece of the historic 2016 Invaders offense.
Ryan Davis Becomes Roswell's Ace
Ryan Davis arrived late enough that his regular-season numbers don't tell the entire story. Once Davis joined Roswell, however, he immediately became the pitcher Treibt could trust in the biggest games.
Davis went 5-0 with a 2.20 ERA. He made six starts, threw 49 innings and completed two games. He allowed only 38 hits and 12 earned runs while striking out 42.
Treibt would later describe Davis as Roswell's number one pitcher and one of the biggest reasons the Invaders won the championship.
Tyler Moore gave Treibt another dominant option. Moore went 6-1 with a 2.84 ERA, appeared in 17 games and made four starts. He threw 44.1 innings and struck out 38 hitters while walking only 10.
He also completed one game. Between Davis and Moore, Roswell had two pitchers capable of changing an entire playoff series.
Ryan Wakefield emerged as Roswell's primary closer. Wakefield appeared in 12 games and recorded nine saves while posting a remarkable 0.69 ERA in 13 innings.
Only one earned run scored against him all season, and he struck out 15 hitters. In close games, Treibt had a reliable option to finish things.
Lars Liguori Adds More Quality Innings
Lars Liguori went 4-1 with a 3.99 ERA. He made five starts and threw 38.1 innings while completing two games and recording two saves.
That versatility gave Roswell another important arm for the postseason.
Roswell finished the regular season 40-28. The Invaders were not the top team in the league. Trinidad had won 43 games and Alpine had won 41, but Roswell had reached 40 victories and secured its opportunity in the postseason.
For a franchise with two championships already on its resume, simply getting into the playoffs was enough to make the Invaders dangerous. Roswell had demonstrated that before, and in 2015 it happened again.
The first opponent was the Alpine Cowboys.
Roswell vs. Alpine - Five Games for a Trip to the Finals
The Roswell-Alpine rivalry was already one of the defining matchups of the early Pecos League. The two franchises had met in important games throughout the league's first five seasons, and their 2015 playoff series became one of the best.
It would take all five games to determine a winner.
Roswell opened the series with a 4-2 victory, with Danny Grauer helping lead the offense. The following night, Nolan Meadows took over. Meadows hit two home runs and drove in four as Roswell defeated Alpine 6-2.
Tyler Moore was outstanding on the mound, throwing seven innings and allowing no earned runs on only three hits while striking out seven. Roswell suddenly had a 2-0 series lead.
The Cowboys weren't finished. Alpine won Game 3, 6-4, and then won again, 8-4. A series Roswell had led 2-0 was suddenly tied 2-2.
Everything came down to one game. Win and go to the Pecos League Championship Series. Lose and the season was over.
This was exactly the type of situation where a championship team needed its best players to deliver.
Roswell did.
Game 5 - Roswell Finishes Alpine
The Invaders defeated Alpine 7-4 in the deciding game. Michael Morris helped lead the way, while Aaron Carman also delivered three hits, drove in a run and scored twice.
Roswell had survived. The Invaders won the series three games to two and were going back to the Pecos League Championship Series.
On the other side of the bracket, the Santa Fe Fuego had pulled off an upset. Trinidad had finished the regular season 43-18 and entered the playoffs with the league's best record, but Santa Fe eliminated the Triggers.
Rain affected the series and shortened it to three games. That meant the Pecos League Championship Series would feature two New Mexico rivals: the Roswell Invaders and Santa Fe Fuego.
The championship would be decided at Fort Marcy Park. It was a perfect matchup for the early Pecos League: two of the league's most recognizable franchises, two New Mexico cities and one championship.
Game 1 - Roswell Explodes for 17 Runs
The championship series began August 3 at Fort Marcy Park, and Roswell wasted very little time taking control. The Invaders defeated Santa Fe 17-6.
Nolan Meadows was again the center of the offense. Meadows collected three hits, hit two home runs, drove in three runs and scored three times. Roswell overwhelmed Santa Fe pitching, while Tyler Moore recorded the victory.
The Invaders were one victory away from their third championship.
Few players were more important to Roswell's championship run than Nolan Meadows. His regular-season numbers were already strong, but his biggest performances came when the games mattered most.
Against Alpine, Meadows hit two home runs and drove in four during Roswell's 6-2 playoff victory. Then came the championship series.
In Game 1 against Santa Fe, Meadows hit two home runs in the 17-6 victory. In Game 2, he hit two more home runs in the 17-5 championship-clinching win.
Four home runs in two championship games.
The Santa Fe pitching staff simply could not keep him in the ballpark. His postseason performance became one of the lasting memories of Roswell's third championship.
Ryan Davis Delivers When Roswell Needs Him
Ryan Davis' contribution was equally important. During the regular season, Davis went 5-0 with a 2.20 ERA and became the pitcher Treibt trusted most.
He delivered against Alpine and then started the championship-clinching game against Santa Fe. Treibt later summarized Davis' contribution clearly: Davis was Roswell's number one pitcher and one of the biggest reasons the team won the championship.
He gave Roswell stability at the most important position on the field.
Tyler Moore Completes the 1-2 Punch
Tyler Moore was just as important. His 6-1 regular-season record and 2.84 ERA gave Roswell another reliable option.
Moore's seven-inning performance against Alpine in Game 2 helped put Roswell ahead 2-0 in the series. He then recorded the victory in Game 1 of the championship series against Santa Fe.
Treibt had exactly what postseason managers want: two pitchers he could trust in the biggest games.
Ryan Davis and Tyler Moore became one of the foundations of Roswell's championship.
2015 Roswell Invaders - By the Numbers
Regular Season Record: 40-28 Regular Season Winning Percentage: .588 First Playoff Series: Defeated Alpine Cowboys, 3 games to 2 Pecos League Championship Series: Defeated Santa Fe Fuego, 2 games to 0 Championship Game 1: Roswell 17, Santa Fe 6 Championship Game 2: Roswell 17, Santa Fe 5 Final Result: 2015 Pecos League Champions Franchise Championship: Third title in five seasons
The 2015 Invaders were not necessarily the obvious championship favorite when the summer began. They had changed managers before Opening Day, went through difficult stretches and finished behind Trinidad and Alpine in the regular-season standings.
But the roster became stronger as the summer progressed. Meadows became a major offensive weapon. Davis became the ace. Moore gave Treibt another high-level starter. Grauer anchored the offense. Morris and Carman kept creating baserunners.
By the time the playoffs arrived, Roswell had become a much more dangerous club than its regular-season position suggested. That became obvious against Alpine.
The Invaders took a 2-0 series lead. Alpine fought all the way back. Roswell still found a way to win Game 5.
Championship teams survive games like that.
The Finals Were Completely Different
The Alpine series was tense. The Santa Fe series was a demolition.
Roswell scored 34 runs in two games. Santa Fe scored 11. The Invaders won by 11 runs in Game 1 and by 12 in Game 2.
There was no deciding game, no last-inning drama and no question about which team controlled the series.
The Invaders went into Fort Marcy Park and took the championship.
Chris Treibt's Championship Season
The 2015 title also belongs prominently in the story of Chris Treibt. He wasn't supposed to be the manager when the season was originally planned. He stepped into the job after Dave Ramsey couldn't report and inherited the expectations surrounding a two-time champion.
Treibt navigated the club through a 68-game regular season, got Roswell to 40 victories and managed the Invaders through a five-game postseason battle with Alpine. Then his team overwhelmed Santa Fe in the championship series.
For a manager who had been elevated into the job shortly before the season, the result could hardly have been better.
Chris Treibt was a Pecos League Champion.
Later that summer, Treibt received an individual professional opportunity of his own. He pitched for the Sugar Land Skeeters of the Atlantic League and threw a scoreless inning in September.
But his lasting connection to Roswell would always be the 2015 championship.
The 2015 title established a remarkable early Pecos League record for Roswell. The league had completed five seasons, and Roswell had won three of them.
2011.
2013.
2015.
Three odd-numbered years. Three championships.
The Invaders had become the standard against which every other early Pecos League franchise was measured. Each championship had its own personality, and the 2015 version would be remembered for surviving Alpine and then overwhelming Santa Fe.
It would be remembered for Danny Grauer's power, Nolan Meadows turning into a postseason force and Ryan Davis and Tyler Moore giving Roswell a dominant 1-2 pitching combination when the games mattered most.
And it would be remembered for Chris Treibt stepping unexpectedly into the manager's job and ending the season as a champion.
Champions at Fort Marcy Park
There was something especially appropriate about where the championship was won. Roswell and Santa Fe represented two of the defining franchises of the early Pecos League. They had played countless games against each other, knew each other's stadiums, knew each other's players and knew the rivalry.
In 2015, the entire league championship came down to those two New Mexico teams at Fort Marcy Park.
Roswell left no doubt.
17-6. 17-5.
Two games. Thirty-four runs. One championship.
When the final out was recorded in Santa Fe, the Invaders had secured their place as the dominant franchise of the Pecos League's first five seasons.
The Roswell Invaders were 2015 Pecos League Champions.
For the third time in five years, the Pecos League Championship belonged to Roswell.
